This five-year integrated program of research, product development, dissemination and evaluation activities will focus on developing an improved technology for consultation offered to and by mental health organizations. The project has both a process and a content goal; the content goal is to identify unmet needs related to consultation in mental health, and then to conduct research studies and/or develop products aimed at meeting those needs. The process goal is to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a programmatic research model for addressing needs in a complex area such as consultation, with the aim of determining whether such a model would have potential for wider application. The project would have five main phases: 1) needs assessment conducted with relevant experts and with consultant-practitioners; 2) retrieval of existing knowledge related to meeting those needs; 3) generating and testing of solutions to unmet needs through research investigations and product development; 4) conduct of dissemination and utilization activities related to products and findings of the project, including both print and interpersonal modes; and 5) evaluation of each research and D and U activity. The programmatic R&D model will itself be evaluated, and findings from this evaluation disseminated appropriately. The main payoffs or benefits anticipated from this research are: 1) increased effectiveness of consultation offered by mental health professionals; 2) increased ability of mental health organizations to benefit from consultation; 3) improved training programs and materials for consultants; 4) better communication among those concerned with consultation in mental health and the related human services; and 5) increased understanding of whether and how a programmatic research model like the one to be tested here could be applied to other problem areas.